Binding
referendum requires implementation by constitutional amendment.
Consultative referendum can anyhow be held if ordered by ad-hoc-law.

ARTICLES
ABOUT INTERNATIONAL TREATIES, REFERENDUM AND CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENTS

Regulation
about a special transference of power to EU:
none

Approval
of transfer of sovereignty without effect of constitutional amendment:
Majority of votes from parliament, Art. 169 II ConstCyprus. President
and council of ministers can veto the decision of parliament, Art.
50 I a ConstCyprus. International treaties relating to commercial
matters, economic co-operation has to be approved by the council
of ministers, Art. 169 I ConstCyprus.

Approval of transfer of sovereignty with effect of constitutional
amendment:
Not expressly regulated, but constitutional amendment required.

Cyprus
on 03.07.2008 ratified the Lisbon Treaty, a total of 31 MPs out
of the 49 present in the 56-seat parliament in Nicosia voted for
the treaty while the 17 communist members present voted against
and there was one abstention.
The vote capped six hours of tense debate. The eurosceptic communist
party of President Demetris Christofias Christofias's (AKEL) had
already voted to oppose the treaty in a June 23 ballot, but the
president had insisted that his government would back the treaty
despite his own party's stance.
AKEL is the senior partner in a government coalition and joint largest
party in parliament with 18 seats, the same number as right-wing
opposition party DISY. But DISY had pledged to back ratification,
as had AKEL's coalition partners the centre-right DIKO with 11 seats
and socialist EDEK with five, thus ensuring the treaty's safe passage.
During the debate, AKEL MP and union federation chief Pambos Kyritsis
complained that the treaty had little to do with the European Union's
ordinary citizens. "As a point of order, moral principle and
democracy we cannot close our eyes and ratify this treaty far away
from the voice of the people," he said."We expected much
more from this treaty; we expected it to protect the weak, not to
strengthen the few."
DISY MPs argued that Cyprus should back the treaty since it had
been one of the beneficiaries of the bloc's eastward expansion,
although party vice president Averoff Neophytou acknowledged it
contained weaknesses. "Staying faithful to our long history
and belief in Europe we will vote in favour of the Lisbon Treaty
despite its shortcomings," he said in the debate. (EUbusiness.com)

PROCEDURE

Parliamentary
vote

STATE
OF THE PROCEDURE

The parliamentary
ratification was held on the 03.07.2008, 31 deputies voted in favour
of the Lisbon treaty and 175 against, out of the 49 present in the
56-seat parliament.